SHOULDER PRACTICES AND PERFORMANCE IN TEXAS

TEXAS HIGHWAY DEPARTMENT POLICY REQUIRES THAT TWO-LANE FACILITIES WITH AN ADT OF 1,000 VEHICLES OR MORE BE CONSTRUCTED WITH EITHER 13-FOOT LANES AND NINE-FOOT PAVED SHOULDERS OR 12-FOOT LANES WITH 10-FOOT PAVED SHOULDERS. ON INTERSTATE HIGHWAYS SIX FEET OF PAVED INTERIOR SHOULDER IS PROVIDED AND ON DIVIDED HIGHWAYS, THE ENTIRE 10-FOOT OUTSIDE SHOULDER AND THE ENTIRE WIDTH OF THE INSIDE SHOULDER ARE PAVED. CROWN-WIDTH BRIDGE STRUCTUES WHICH PROVIDE FULL SHOULDERS PLUS OFFSET FOR CONTINUOUS GUARD FENCE INSTALLATIONS, ARE USED TO REDUCE THE HAZARDOUS TRANSITION AT APPROACH GUARDRAILS AND STRUCTURE SHOULDERS HAVE BEEN DIFFERENTIATED BY USE OF AGGREGATE WITH CONTRASTING COLOR AND TEXTURE. SIMPLIFICATION OF CONVERSION OF TWO-LANE FACILITIES TO FOUR-LANE FACILITIES (BY SEAL COAT APPLICATION OR OVERLAY AND LANE STRIPING), AND ENABLING INTERMITTENT USE BY SLOW-MOVING VEHICLES ARE LISTED AS SUPPLEMENTAL BENEFITS DERIVED FROM FULL DEPTH SHOULDER. USE OF THE SHOULDER BY SLOW-MOVING VEHICLES IN MULTILANE FACILITIES IS DISCOURAGED BY SIGNING AND CONTRASTING COLOR AND TEXTURE. THE PROVISION OF UNIFORM WIDTH, ALL-WEATHER TYPE SHOULDERS ON PRIMARY HIGHWAYS HAS BEEN WIDELY ACCLAIMED BY THE PUBLIC.

• Record URL:
  https://onlinepubs.trb.org/Onlinepubs/trcircular/142/142-007.pdf
• Supplemental Notes:
  • Distribution, posting, or copying of this PDF is strictly prohibited without written permission of the Transportation Research Board of the National Academy of Sciences. Unless otherwise indicated, all materials in this PDF are copyrighted by the National Academy of Sciences. Copyright © National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.
• Corporate Authors:

  Transportation Research Board

  500 Fifth Street, NW
  Washington, DC  United States  20001
• Authors:
  • Nixon, J F
• Publication Date: 1973-4

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Pagination: p. 13-14
• Serial:
  • Highway Research Circular
  • Issue Number: 142
  • Publisher: Highway Research Board (HRB)

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Average daily traffic; Color; Detectable warning surfaces; Hazards; Highway design; Interstate highways; Paved shoulders; Pavements; Performance; Road shoulders; State highways; Texture
• Old TRIS Terms: Rough textured warning pavement
• Subject Areas: Highways; Operations and Traffic Management; Pavements;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00226708
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS, TRB
• Created Date: Aug 31 1973 12:00AM